Number of missing rises to 52 in landslides in Japan

Search-and-rescue operations resumed in the western Japanese city of Hiroshima despite rain, while the number of those listed as unaccounted for in landslides increased to 52, a report said Friday.
About 3,000 rescuers, including 650 troops, had to suspend their operations late Thursday after heavy rain prompted authorities to issue an evacuation advisory in some parts of Hiroshima city, 700 kilometers south-west of Tokyo, dpa reported.
Thirty-nine people are confirmed dead and 67 injured after torrential rain triggered mudslides in at least 31 spots in the northern part of the city early Wednesday, while the number of missing jumped and could increase further, police said.
As of Friday morning, about 1,700 people had taken refuge at emergency shelters in the city as weather authorities warned of further heavy rains and mudslides in the region, the report said.
Meanwhile, a 21-year-old police officer was found dead in Shime town, Fukuoka, after he was swept away by a swollen river. Authorities lifted evacuation advisories in the prefectures of Nagasaki and Fukuoka.